Improvement in fire-extinguishers



JOSEPH GARDNERl` improvement in .Fire Extinguishers.

Patented March 12,1872.

i i i n v 1 to r gege/g a/@9mm A Witnesses: /L

AM. rrlarowrHas/MM/c La N r /nsaaimvn'f Macaw] rrnn 'rk'rns JOSEPH GARDNER, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

lNlPIRDJi-MENT- IN FIRE-EXTINGUISHERS.

Specification forming part of LcttersPatent No. 124,565, dated March 1Q, 1872.

. iication.

My present invention is intended as an improvement upon the re-extinguisher77 for which Letters Patent have been granted to me February 14 and December 26, 1871; and it consists, nrst, in the arrangement, in a fireextinguisher having an acid-chamber and an alkaline-ehamber, of the charging-opening or openin gs of the acid and alkaline chambers in the same ends or sides as the discharge-cocks are placed; second, in an elbow or crooked pipe within the ggneratingchamber shutting in the end ot' the cock of the acid-chamber, and its free end pointing toward the opening ofthe sodacock; `third, in a perforated basket covering the inner end of the hosevopening in the generatin geh amber; and fourth, in a disintegrator arranged in the soda| or alkaline chamber; all of which will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

ln order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation,reterrin g to the annexed drawing, which represents a side elevation, partly in section, of my improved lireextinguisher.

A represents the generatingchamber, and is located above the alkali-chamber B and acid-chamber C when the machine is put aside ready for use when neded. The two chambers B and C connect with the generatingchamber A by means of the cocks D and the equalizing-pipes H I. In the same ends of the chambers B and O, where the cocks D D are located,`are suitable openings, provided with screw-caps J for charging the machine. By thus placing the charging and discharging openings ig the same ends of the chambers the machine may be inverted when charged and put awa-y ready for use, obviating all danger of leakage from the cocks or valves, or any otherinconvenience that might arise from contact of chemicals therewith, or of spilling the chemicals by any accidental derangement of al,the cocks, as every opening is entirely above the level of the contained tluids. E represents a crooked or elbow tube shutting in the end of the cock of the acid-chamber O within the generating-chamber A, a-nd the free end of said pipe or tube E points toward the opening of the soda or alkaline cock. The object of this tube is to clear any undissolved soda from the cock by the stream of acid thrown in contact therewith, which would otherwise prevent the now of sodawhen the machine is reversed and the cocks opened. F represents a perforated basket covering the inner end of the hoseopening, the perforations in said basket being smaller than the opening in the nozzle, thus preventing any hard substances from entering the hose and stopping up the nozzle. G represents the disintegrator, placed in the sodachamber B, which has for its object the speedy and easy mixing ofthe sedimentary deposit of soda that is always found in the most dependent part of the soda-chamber when the charge of soda is greater than one pound to thirteen of water. This device consists of a simple pipe, one end 0f which is attached to the inner portion of the feeding-(atp. Near the cap it has one or more holes in it to allow of a free current through it when the plunger is in use or when the charge is being projected on a fire. Inside of this tube is a disk or plunger filling the caliber of the pipe, and iitted to this disk is a rod that passes through the cap, which is furnished with a stuffing-box to prevent leakage. The end of this rod outside of the stufiing-box is furnished with a handle of any convenient form for workin g the rod up and down. The operation is as follows: Fill the acid and soda chambers with their respective compounds; screw the caps on the openings tight; the machine may now be set aside charged for any length of time without impairing its efciency. When a tire occurs give the handle of the disintegrator about a dozen rapid plunges back and forth; this mixes up the soda. Reverse the machine; turn the handle of either cock, and it opens both cocks; the iiow of chemicals into the generatingchamber begins at once, and carbonio acid is liberated and makes the necessary pressure to expel the chemicals ina powerful stream. By turningv ofi the cocks the stream ceases and pressure on the machine ends at once.

I do not wish to be understood as confining myself, in the use of the above-described improvements, to the particular fireextinguisher heretofore patented by me, as they may be equally applicable to all extinguishers that use an acid and an alkali for generating carbonio-acid gas.

In some cases where the extinguisher is mounted upon wheels or otherwise the generatingchamber A maybe placed on the sides of the acid and alkaline chambers. In this posit-ion the fcedin g or charging caps are placed on the same oruppermost side; but by reversing the machine become the most dependent or lowest.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. I claim a fire-extinguisher that is provided with two or more separate receptacles or chambers (having suitable cocks or valves) for keeping separate an acid in solution and an alkali in solution with water or any other suitable fluid, and which has all its Venta-ges above the fluid line when the machine is inverted and set aside; but which ventages are all below the iiuid when the device is placed into position for operation.

2. The crooked or elbow pipe E arranged- January, 1872.

JOSEPH GARDNER. Witnesses:

EDM. F. BROWN, C. L. EVERT. 

